Chapter 1
The sound of birds, wind blowing, trees swaying and sticks breaking under her feet as she walked in her favourite spot in the woods.
Karlie lived in a very isolated area. away from the noise of the cities was her house, closer to the woods and the beautiful green trees. she never liked staying in the house due to her fighting parents who claimed they were only still married for her sake. she preferred wandering in the quiet, calming and marvelous part of the area.
she was still young, hated high school more than anything. she skipped it most days to go to the forest and lose herself in a long train of thoughts. she was tall, pretty, quiet but very annoying around the right people. she loved music, baking, and definitely the woods and nature.
whenever she was sick of her parents, she always found herself walking towards the woods absentmindedly. she has been doing it for as long as she rememberes.
she sat on the huge rock next to some pine trees with her headphones in her ears, closed her eyes as she listened to her favourite kind of music, ready to lose herself in her daily daydreaming sessions.
she was interrupted by some movement when she opened her eyes. she could swear she saw a shadow of a person staring at her. and because shes karlie, she, obviously, went to investigate whatever it was that she saw.
was it an animal maybe? she wondered to herself. there was no way a person would be insane enough to be out here, other than herself of course.
she walked slowly towards the direction she saw the shadow in. she didn’t look like she was stopping anytime soon, she walked straight, feeling a force pulling her to that direction, even further than she has ever gone before.
a few minutes of walking that felt like hours, she started catching a glimpse of what looks like a.. small old house? it looked very creepy. but that never stopped her.
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“hello?” karlie walked in carefully looking around.
the house looked as creepy on the inside as it looked on the outside, books scattered everywhere, dilapidated furniture and fallen wallpaper.
she stepped further inside towards an antiquated dining table. it looked like it has been there for centuries. is that toast? she looked at the plate on the table. it looks new, at least an hour old.
“is anyone here?” karlie called out louder. it was not long after when she heard a clatter in another room.
karlie froze, someone has to be there. it was dangerous to be here in the first place, but, does she have anything to lose? not really. so, she moved towards the sound “i know you’re in there”
she never had many friends, she was a quiet kid who no one seems to know anything about. she was pretty sure even her parents hated her. they never cared about the fact that their daughter was disappearing for hours every single day. they never had time for her. they cared more about winning every fight they had. she found peace in the woods. she knew it was about time before she leaves this stupid place.
karlie’s heart dropped, her whole body froze like she had seen a ghost. she was taken aback by the sight infront of her.
a blonde girl hugging her knees infront of her, hiding behind a little cabinet in the right corner of what looked like a living room. everything was dirty and filled with dust. the girl looked terrified.
is she shaking? karlie walked closer to the panicked girl “hey, are you alright?” she spoke quietly as she stepped even nearer and slower.
the girl’s blue eyes were filled with horror and fear. her tears falling to her neck, she tried pushing her body further back but the wall behind her was on the way. her breathing was loud and heavy.
“I’m not going to hurt you” karlie said soothingly, kneeling down. “is this your home? are you alone? whats your name?”.
the girl shut her eyes and shook her head as if trying to push everything away. as if the stranger woman infront of her would just disappear “no- no one was supposed to find us!” the girl yelled in panic.
“us? is there another person here? are you not alone?” karlie asked crawling closer to her “I’m not here to hurt you, just breathe” she lift her hands to show the other girl that she was no threat.
“m..mom” the girl whispered, hugging her knees again and burying her face between them.
“your mom?” karlie asked with a little smile, maybe she could calm this panicking girl down.. “is she here? what’s your name?”
“Taylor” the blonde girl said in a barely audible voice while shaking her head answering the other questions. she looked like she was calming down a little.
“alright Taylor, im karlie. and when i was just out there in the woods wandering like i do everyday, i might have caught a new friend staring. was that you, by any chance?” karlie spoke smiling, her green eyes looking so sweet and so kind.
“i..i never get out. my mom would never let me.” taylor spoke with a shaking voice.
“well, i wont say anything to her if you never did. deal?” karlie held her hand up for taylor to shake.
karlie got up when she never got an answer from the smaller looking girl. “is this where you live? its nice.. old, but nice”
karlie looked around the living room, it was small. one of the first things she noticed is that there was no tv, just a radio on the coffe table, giving she could never live without one. “do you not have a tv?”
“tv..?” taylor looked at her with wrinkled eyebrows.
“television?” karlie tried elaborating, but the other girl looked even more confused than before. “do you never get out? like at all?”
“mom says people are bad.. outside is dangerous” taylor said looking up at karlie, her voice still sounding like she was just crying.
“where is your mom anyway?” karlie asked moving to the book shelf on the other corner of the room, examining the ancient looking books.
“dead”
karlie’s head turned to look at the girl sitting in the corner. her throat dry, her eyes wide. She was not expecting that answer.
“are you gonna hurt me?” taylor asked, her face was pale, she looked like she hadn’t eaten in days.
“im not gonna hurt you” karlie answered as she watched taylor get up and walk upstairs.
now karlie was the one who’s confused.